Stop motion for a loom having a bobbin filling-changing mechanism



Sept. 3, 1963 J. c. FISHER 3,102,558

STOP MOTION FOR A LOOM HAVING A BOBBIN FILLING-CHANGING MECHANISM Filed April 3. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 3, 1963 J. c. FISHER 3,102,553 STOP MOTION FOR A LOOM HAVING A BOBBIN J FILLING-CHANGING MECHANISM Filed April 5. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A a? 42 q 3 INVENTOR: JAMEs C. HsHER BY Q MAA MW ATTORNEYLS United biases Fatent U l 3,102,558 STD? MOTION FUR A LO'OM HAVING A EGBSTN FlLLING-CHANGING MECHANISM James C. Fisher, 14% N. Ridge Ave, Kannapolis, N.C. Filed Apr. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 106,093 6 Claims. (Cl. 139--336.4)

This invention relates generally to a stop motion for looms and more particularly to a stop motion for a loom having a bobbin filling-changing mechanism of the type which automatically winds the filling yarn onto the bobbins and then supplies the filled bobbins to the shuttle of the loom.

Recently, the use of automatic bobbin winding means on cloth weaving looms has become widespread and the automatic winding of the filling bobbins at the loom results in substantial savings in the cost of producing cloth. The type of automatic bobbin winding apparatus, with which the present stop motion is concerned, is known as the Unifil loom winder manufactured by Leesona Corporation of Boston, Massachusetts. This type of bobbin winding apparatus is shown and described in the Goodhue et al. Patents Nos. 2,638,936 and 2,785,704.

The Unifil unit includes means for successively feeding empty bobbins to a winding head which winds a supply of filling yarn onto the empty bobbins, and means for doffing wound bobbins from the winding means and supplying them to a reserve bobbin magazine positioned above the boxed shuttle. In the normal operation of the Unifil unit, five reserve bobbins are maintained in substantially a vertical stack in the supply magazine for delivery to the shuttle, as needed. Sometimes, the supply of reserve bobbins in the magazine is used, without additional filled bobbins being supplied to the reserve supply magazine by the winding apparatus. There are several things that may happen to prevent filled bobbins from being fed into the supply magazine in the normal manner and these will be later described.

When the supply of filled bobbins in the reserve maga zinc is exhausted, the feeler finger will sense that only a small amount of yarn remains on the bobbin in the shuttle and actuate the transfer mechanism. However, when there are no bobbins in the reserve magazine, the nearly exhausted bobbin in the shuttle will not be transferred and the shuttle will continue to reciprocate until all of the yarn on the bobbin is exhausted and the conventional filling fork detector will then stop the loom after all of the yarn is used from the bobbin. However, the residual end of the filling yarn may become tangled with the warp yarns to cause a break-out. Also, if the filling fork is not working properly, due to lint or the like in the grate, the loom will not be stopped and a bad place will be formed in the cloth.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide stop motion means associated with a Unifil loom winder which stop motion will operate to stop the loom upon the absence of a bobbin at a predetermined position in the reserve bobbin magazine.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a stop motion of the type described which may be readily and economically applied to the Unifil loom winder without requiring modification of the Unifil loom winder.

It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide a stop motion for looms equipped with a Unifil loom winder which stop motion includes actuator means positioned in the lower portion of the bobbin supply magazine for detecting the absence of a bobbin at a predetermined position in the supply magazine, the actuator means being operatively connected to the loom stop motion and operable, in the absence of a bobbin in said predeter- Patented Eaept. 3, 19%53 mined position, to actuate the loom stop motion and immediately stop operation of the loom.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of one end portion of a loom showing the Unifil loom winder attached thereto;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through the bobbin supply magazine of the Unifil winder and shows the manner in which the stop motion of the present invention is associated therewith;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the central portion of FIGURE 2, illustrating the position of the stop motion actuator when a sufficient supply of filled bobbins is positioned in the supply magazine and showing the connection between the stop motion actuator and the drop wire bar of the stop motion;

FIGURE 4- is a View similar to FIGURE 3 but showing the position of the stop motion actuator when an insufficient supply of filled bobbins is positioned in the supply magazine;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan view taken substantially along the line 55 in FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawings, particularly FIGURE 1, it will be noted that the loom includes the usual end frame 19 which supports the usual cross-frame members, the usual weaving instrumentalities of the loom and a conventional loom stop motion, including drop wires 11 (FIGURES 2 and 3). The drop wires 11 are normally supported out of contact with a hot electrical cont-act bar 12 by warp yarns W. The bar 12 is supported in and insulated from a U-shaped ground electrical contact bar 13 which is supported by the loom frame in the usual manner. The bars 12 and 13 are a part of the conventional electrical stop motion circuit of the loom and when a warp yarn W breaks, the corresponding drop wire 11 drops down to complete the electrical circuit between the bars 12 and 13 and thereby actuate the stop motion and immediately stop the loom in a conventional manner.

The loom also includes the usual reciprocating lay 15 (FIGURE 2.) which is provided with a shuttle box 16 that is adapted to receive a shuttle S containing a filling supply bobbin B. The shuttle S is driven back and forth across the lay 15 by a picker stick 2i) (FIGURE 1) in the usual manner.

The Unifil bobbin winder includes a main drive housing 21 (FIGURE 1) which is supported on the loom frame 10 and supplies the driving motion to a bobbin winding station, broadly designated at 25 in FIGURES 1 and 2, and a bobbin transfer mechanism broadly indicated at 26. The transfer mechanism 26 includes a hammer 27 which is moved downwardly in FIGURE 2 to drive the lowermost filled bobbin into the shuttle S and discharge the exhausted bobbin therefrom. The exhausted bobbin is guided into a stripper mechanism 29 by a chute 30 (FIGURE 1). The residue of yarn rem-aining on the bobbin is stripped therefrom by the stripper mechanism 29 and the cleaned bobbin is then, delivered into a tray or receptor 31.

The lower portion of a conveyor belt 32 passes into the tray 31 to pick up empty bobbins and carry the same upwardly where they are deposited in an empty bobbin magazine 33. The empty bobbins are stored in the magazine 33 in substantially a vertical position and the lowermost empty bobbin is transferred to the bobbin winding station 25, as needed. Filling yarn Y is drawn from a supply package P (FIGURE 1) and is directed, through suitable tension devices 34, to the winding station 25.

Upon completion of the winding of the yarn upon the bobbin at the winding station 25, the filled bobbin is dotted from the winding station 25 and deposited on a shelf 35 (FIGURE 2) which is hingedly connected to the front face of a casing 36. The filled bobbin is retained on the shelf for an instant while the transfer-tail of the yarn is attached thereto and then the shelf =35 swings down to release the bobbin so that it drops down into a reserve bobbin supply magazine, broadly indicated at 40. The hinged shelf 35 controls the feeding of the empty bobbins to the winding station 25 and stops operation of the winding station 25 if the bobbin supply magazine 46 is filled with bobbins.

The reserve bobbin magazine 40 is suitably supported adjacent the front face of the casing 36 and includes front and rear bobbin guide rails 42 and 43. The guide rails 42 and 43 maintain the filled bobbins B in substantially a vertical position above the shuttle S (FIGURE 2). The lowermost filled bobbin in the magazine 4b is positioned in the proper location to be engaged by the transfer hammer 27 of the transfer mechanism 26 to move the lowermost filled bobbin into the shuttle S and project the empty or exhausted bobbin therefrom.

In order to slow down the first few filled bobbins B dropped into the bobbin supply magazine 40, a weighted lever, broadly indicated at 50, is pivotally supported intermediate its ends as at 51 on the casing 36. The forward end of the lever 50' has a downwardly extending bobbin engaging end 52 which extends into the supply magazine 40 and is adapted to be engaged by filled bobbins as they are fed downwardly in the magazine 40. The rearmost end of the lever St! has a weight member 55 suitably secured thereto and a downwardly extending plate 56 provided thereon.

The forward bobbin engaging end 52 of the lever 54) has a bumper plate 57, of rubber or the like, suitably secured thereto. When there are less than three bobbins in the magazine 40, the weight 55 will cause the lever 50 to swing to the position shown in FIGURE 4 so that the forward end 52 will engage and retard the falling motion of the next filled bobbin dropped from the hinged shelf 35. When three or more filled bobbins are positioned in the supply magazine 49, the lever will be held in substantially a horizontal position, as shown in FIGURE 3, and additional bobbins dropped from the hinged shelf 35 will .engage the uppermost filled bobbin in the supply magazine 48-. Thus, as long as there are three or more filled bobbins in the supply magazine 49, the lever 56 will be held in the position shown in FIGURE 3 and when there are less than three bobbins remaining in the supply magazine 40, the lever 50 will swing to the position shown in FIG- URE 4.

The parts heretofore described are conventional parts of a loom equipped with a Unifil bobbin winder and during normal operation, five filled bobbins are maintained in the supply magazine 40 and one filled bobbin is maintained in position to be transferred into the shuttle, making a total of six bobbins in reserve. As soon as the lowermost filled bobbin is transferred to the shuttle, the winding station winds filling yarn onto an empty bobbin and then doffs the same into the supply magazine. However, as mentioned earlier, several things can cause the supply of filled bobbins in the supply magazine 40' to be exhausted or drop below the desired number.

For example, when the supply of yarn Y on the supply package P is exhausted, operation of the winding station 25 is stopped, however, the loom continues to operate and the supply of reserve bobbins may be used before an operator puts a filled supply package P on the machine. The empty bobbin supply magazine 33 may become jammed to prevent the proper feeding of the empty bobbins to the winding station 25. The feeler may become stuck and cause the transfer mechanism 26 to transfer the bobbins at every pick. The empty bobbins may become jammed in the chute 30, the stripper 29 or the supply tray 31 and prevent empty bobbins from being fed to the 4 magazine 33 and winding station 25. When any of the above conditions occur, the supply of reserve bobbins in the magazine 40 may be exhausted and cause the loom to form imperfect cloth.

The stop motion means of the present invention is operable to stop the operation of the loom when the number of filled bobbins in the magazine 40 drops below a predetermined level. In the preferred form, the present stop motion means utilizes a conventional part of the Unifil Winder; i.e., the lever 50, as the actuator means. Therefore, the lever 50 will be referred to as the actuator means for the stop motion. However, it is to be understood that another type of actuator may be used to detect the'presence or absence of bobbins in the supply magazine 46'.

An electricalterminal 66* (FIGURES 3 and 4) is supported in the upper surface of an insulation block 61 which in turn is secured to the lower horizontal flange 0f the casing 36. The electrical terminal 6% has one end of an electric wire 62 suitably connected thereto and the other end of which is suitably connected to the hot bar 12 of the loom stop motion (FIGURE 3).

As long as three or more reserve bobbins B are maintained in the magazine 49, the actuator lever 50 will be held in substantially the horizontal position shown in FIG- URE 3. In this position, the filled bobbins B engage the forward end 52 of the actuator lever 50- to hold the plate 56 on the rear end of the actuator lever 56 out of contact with the electrical terminal 6! If there are less than three filled bobbins B in the magazine 40, as shown in FIGURE 4, the weight 55. will cause the rear end of the actuator lever 50 to swing down until the lower edge of the plate 56 engages the electrical terminal 6%. This will complete the electrical circuit from the hot bar 12 to the frame of the loom and immediately actuate the stop motion to stop the loom.

In order to resume operation of the loom, the operator will first correct whatever caused the number of reserve bobbins to become abnormally low and then either hold the actuator lever St in the position shown in FIGURE 3 or place filled bobbins in the magazine 40' so that they will hold the lever 50 in this position.

Although the actuator lever 50 is being held in substantially a horizontal position by the third filled bobbin from the bottom in the magazine 40, it is to be understood that the forward end of the lever 50 could be made longer so that the lever would be held in a horizontal position by the first or second bobbins, if desired. Also, the lever St) I could be supported at a lower elevation on the casing 36 so that the first or second filled bobbin in the magazine 40 would hold the same in a horizontal position. It should thus be apparent that the detecting function performed by the lever 50 may take place at one of several predetermined positions in the magazine 40 with the position of operation thereof determining how many, if any, bobbins are present in the magazine when the loom is stopped.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a loom having stop motion means operative to stop said loom, a shuttle for containing a filling bobbin, and a bobbin filling-changing mechanism including a vertically arranged magazine for holding a supply of reserve bobbins in substantially a vertical stack with the lowermost bobbin positioned closely above said shuttle in readiness for transfer thereto, means for winding filling bobbins on the loom and means for successively supplying the wound bobbins to the upper end of the magazine, said magazine guiding the received wound bobbins downwardly to the transfer position, and means for transferring the lowermost bobbin from the magazine to the shuttle of the loom, the combination therewith of means operatively connected to said stop motion means and being positioned below said winding means and in the path of travel of the wound bobbins in the magazine to detect the presence or absence of a bobbin at a predetermined position in the magazine and being operable to actuate said stop motion means to stop the loom in the absence of a bobbin being in said predetermined position in said magazine.

2. In a loom having stop motion means operative to stop said loom, a shuttle for containing a filling bobbin, and a bobbin filling-changing mechanism including a vertically arranged magazine for holding a supply of re serve bobbins in substantially a vertical stack with the lowermost bobbin positioned closely above said shuttle in readiness for transfer thereto, means for winding filling bobbins :on the loom and means for successively supplying the wound bobbins to the upper end of the magazine, said magazine guiding the received wound bobbins downwardly to the transfer position, and means for transferring the lowermost bobbin from the magazine to the shuttle of the loom, the combination therewith of means operatively connected to said stop motion means and being positioned below said winding means and in the path of travel of the wound bobbins in the magazine to be engaged by a bobbin at a predetermined position in the magazine and being operable to actuate said stop motion means to stop the 100m in the absence of a bobbin being in said predetermined position in said magazine.

3. In a loom having stop motion means operative to stop said loom, a shuttle for containing a filling bobbin, and a bobbin filling-changing mechanism including a vertically arranged magazine for holding a supply of reserve bobbins in substantially a vertical stack with the lowermost bobbin positioned closely above said shuttle in readiness for transfer thereto, means (for winding filling bobbins :on the loom and means for successively supplying the wound bobbins to the upper end of the magazine, said magazine guiding the received wound bobbins downwardly to the transfer position, and means for transferring the lowermost bobbin from the magazine tothe shuttle of the loom, the combination therewith of a pivotally supported lever operatively connected to said stop motion means and being positioned below said winding means, said lever having at least a portion thereof positioned in the path of travel of the wound bobbins in the magazine to detect the presence and absence of a bobbin at a predetermined position in the magazine, and said lever being operable to actuate said stop motion means to stop the loom in the absence of a bobbin being in said predetermined position in said magazine.

4. In a loom having electrically operable stop motion means operative to stop said 100111, a shuttle for containing a filling bobbin, and a bobbin filling-changing mechanism including a vertically arranged magazine for holding a supply of reserve bobbins in substantially a vertical stack with the lowermost bobbin positioned closely above said shuttle in readiness for transfer thereto, means for Winding filling bobbins on the loom and means for successively supplying the wound bobbins to the upper end :of the magazine, said magazine guiding the received wound bobbins downwardly to the transfer position, and means for transferring the lowermost bobbin from the magazine to the shuttle of the loom, the combination therewith of a pivotally supported lever positioned below said winding means and having one end thereof positioned in the path of travel of the wound bobbins in the magazine to detect the presence and absence of a bobbin at a predetermined position in the magazine, an electrical terminal connected to said stop motion means and spaced from said lever when said one end thereof is in engagement with a bobbin in said predetermined position, and means urging said lever into contact with said electrical terminal in the absence of a bobbin being in said predetermined position in said magazine to actuate said stop motion and stop the loom.

5. In a loom having stop motion means operative to stop said :loom, a shuttle for containing afillin-g bobbin, and a bobbin filling-changing mechanism including a vertically arranged magazine for holding a supply of reserve bobbins in substantially a vertical stack with the lowermost bobbin positioned closely above said shuttle in readiness for transfer thereto, means for winding filling bobbins on the loom and means for successively supplying the wound bobbins to the upper end of the magazine, said magazine guiding the received wound bobbins downward-1y to the transfer position, and means for transferring the lowermost bobbin from the magazine to the shuttle of the loom, the combination therewith of means operatively connected to said stop motion means and being positioned below said winding means and in the path of travel of the wound bobbins in the magazine to be engaged by the third bobbin from the bottom in the magazine and being operable to actuate said stop motion means to stop the loom when less than three bobbins are present in said magazine.

6. In a loom having a warp stop motion means operative to stop said loom, a shuttle for containing a filling bobbin, and a bobbin filling-changing mechanism including a vertically arranged magazine for holding a supply of reserve bobbins in substantially a vertical stack with the lowermost bobbin positioned closely above said shuttle in readiness for transfer thereto, means for winding filling bobbins on the loom and means for successively supplying the Wound bobbins to the upper end of the magazine, said magazine guiding the received wound bobbins downwardly to the transfer position, and means for transferring the lowermost bobbin from the magazine to the shuttle :of the loom, the combination therewith of means operatively connected to said warp stop motion means and being positioned below said Winding means and in the path of travel of the wound bobbins in the magazine to detect the presence of a predetermined number :of bobbins in the magazine and being operable to actuate said Warp stop motion means to stop the loom in the absence of said predetermined number of bobbins in said magazine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,351,188 Rhoades Aug. 31, 1920 2,997,073 Morton Aug. 22, 196 1 FOREIGN PATENTS 23,107 Great Britain Dec. 19, 1907 

1. IN A LOOM HAVING STOP MOTION MEANS OPERATIVE TO STOP SAID LOOM, A SHUTTLE FOR CONTAINING A FILLING BOBBIN, AND A BOBBIN FILLING-CHANGING MECHANISM INCLUDING A VERTICALLY ARRANGED MAGAZINE FOR HOLDING A SUPPLY OF RESERVE BOBBINS IN SUBSTANTIALLY A VERTICAL STACK WITH THE LOWERMOST BOBBIN POSITIONED CLOSELY ABOVE SAID SHUTTLE IN READINESS FOR TRANSFER THERETO, MEANS FOR WINDING FILLING BOBBINS ON THE LOOM AND MEANS FOR SUCCESSIVELY SUPPLYING THE WOUND BOBBINS TO THE UPPER END OF THE MAGAZINE, SAID MAGAZINE GUIDING THE RECEIVED WOUND BOBBINS DOWNWARDLY TO THE TRANSFER POSITION, AND MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING THE LOWERMOST BOBBIN FROM THE MAGAZINE TO THE SHUTTLE OF THE LOOM, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID STOP MOTION MEANS AND BEING POSITIONED BELOW SAID WINDING MEANS AND IN THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE WOUND BOBBINS IN THE MAGAZINE TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF A BOBBIN AT A PREDETERMINED POSITION IN THE MAGAZINE AND BEING OPERABLE TO ACTUATE SAID STOP MOTION MEANS TO STOP THE LOOM IN THE ABSENCE OF A BOBBIN BEING IN SAID PREDETERMINED POSITION IN SAID MAGAZINE. 